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Dec 16, 2009

Adam rated it:

Besides the bad writing and the clichéd, predictable storytelling, the message of this book is really ugly. Tall, handsome angels are associated with Protestantism, and foul demons are associated with, well, everything else (e.g., New Age spirituality, Eastern religions, and any philosophy that does not place Christ at its center). Personally I think New Age philosophies, astrology, and crystal power are all pretty silly, but deliberately associating them with Satan is not only ridiculously simp More...

7 comments like (13 people liked it)

May 08, 2008

Brian rated it:

Christian fiction at its very best.

Peretti doesn't make the mistake that a lot of other Christian authors make. He doesn't ever stop telling his story to preach some valuable theological lesson. Rather he weaves it seamlessly into the narrative. The overarching theme of this book is "the power of prayer". But the story is straight out of a Stephen King novel. A small town is under attack from dark forces, both in this world and in the spiritual realm. The story is tol More...

0 comments like (14 people liked it)

Dec 08, 2008

Annette rated it:

I remember "This Present Darkness" with fondness from my early - mid teen years. While some may disdainfully complain that Peretti is nothing but a fantasy writer for Christians and that his works cause the easily influenced to see demons behind every tree, in my opinion he does the church a service by reminding us of the supernatural forces which actually *are* at work in our world and which many of us have done out best to forget in this "modern" era. Do they function exa More...

0 comments like (9 people liked it)

Sep 01, 2008

Eddy rated it:

This book was written in 1986, but I read it for the first time just recently. There are some things about the book that seem a bit dated now, but at the time I'm sure Frank Peretti was breaking new ground in a lot of ways.
This book was written at a time when the big enemy to the church seemed to be the occult, and it exercising influence in American daily life, and surreptitiously leading Christians astray; hence the main themes of the book.

What this book did that was unique i More...

0 comments like (6 people liked it)

Jan 22, 2009

Liz rated it:

I read this book twice, about a decade apart, and would read it again. Since I have an open mind about religion I could read it as a story and not as a religious philosophy. My dad didn't like the book because he didn't agree with the religious views in the book, but I saw them as background for the characters.

Anyway, the book is about the basic fight between angels and demons, but you see it from the angels' and demons' perspective, as well as from the humans' perspective that they More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

May 07, 2008

Kristen rated it:

Back when I was into Christian Literature, I really loved this author. I've moved past a lot of Christian Authors, persay, but Frank Peretti will always have my heart. He's very witty and well spoken (and a ham if you've heard him speak in public). This book was written with a lot of creativity and enlightenment, and though I've moved past a lot of the 'spiritual warefare' movement that ripped through the bible belt in the 90's, this book is still one of the most riveting I've ever read.
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0 comments like (3 people liked it)

May 27, 2011

Vicki rated it:

I read this book decades ago and it had a really significant impact on me at the time. Though I was definitely a person of faith, the idea of spiritual warfare going on all about us in this modern day was very foreign to my understanding of how God works in world events today. Frank Peretti's fictional story of the community of Ashton was an enjoyable read back then, but it really challenged my thinking.

I have just re-read it because, surprise, it is our current book club selection. I More...

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Apr 30, 2010

Matt rated it:

Okay ... I did what everyone told me to do:

1. Keep in mind that it's written from the viewpoint of the fundamental religious right.

2. At the height of the Reagan era.

and, I still almost couldn't finish it. I'll be the first to admit that I don't agree with Peretti's agenda, but I'll also say that I imagine that there's pleanty of "normal" Evangelicals, just as there are Republicans. But, Peretti, I hope is just blinded by his faith, and just not More...

4 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 24, 2010

Jenn rated it:

This book was recommended to me by a friend. I really enjoyed it! I found it hard to put down, especially in the second half, and had to stay up late to finish it. It's not without its flaws though. I found some of the characters and dialogue a little hollow, no worse than a Michael Crichton or Robin Cook novel. I don't believe that new age spirituality and psychology are inherently evil. I believe that certain groups can use any belief system and twist it around to use it for evil. But other wa More...

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Jun 11, 2009

Jill rated it:

Review by Jill Williamson

Bernice Krueger, reporter for the Ashton Chronicle, finds herself in jail after being in the wrong place at the wrong time. She came to Ashton to investigate the supposed suicide of her sister. Now, she and her boss, Marshall Hogan, start investigating some strange occurrences in town.

Hank Busche is a small town pastor who is trying to keep his argumentative congregation from falling apart. Little does he know, there are dark forces in town that a More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 30, 2009

Heather marked it as to-read

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)

Ashton is just a typical small town. But when a skeptical reporter and a prayerful pastor begin to compare notes, they suddenly find themselves fighting a hideous New Age plot to subjugate the townspeople, and eventually the entire human race.

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Jun 24, 2011

Harmonybites rated it:

This gets as high a rating as it does because I have to acknowledge it does have its merits when contrasted to the books in the genre I've read, even if this is emphatically not a book for me. I tried this because I'm working through a list of recommended reading, "The Ultimate Reading List" and decided not to skip the "Inspirational Fiction" section of Christian fiction despite not being a believer. After all, I do love CS Lewis, so I thought there might be one gem on the li More...

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Nov 30, 2011

Aaron rated it:

It took two decades of prodding from my father for me to finally read this classic in Christian fiction. For some reason, I wasn't expecting a book about spiritual warfare to be interesting. Or perhaps the truth is that I was scared to let my eyes be opened to it. Regardless, I can now say with absolute conviction that this book was worth the wait.

Peretti is not the greatest storyteller or writer that you will ever read. His style is nothing special, just simple linear progression fr More...

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Apr 28, 2008

Joanne rated it:

This is a fantastic book. I read it when I first became a christian and was having a hard time grasping/picturing spiritual warfare. One of my friends (now husband) suggessted that I read this book (as well as book 2) to get a visual image in my head of what could be going on in the spiritual world. It was an eye opener and really impressed upon me the need and power of prayer.

I've since read both books again. They are just that good..

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 16, 2009

Peter added it

Damn, It was a long day that involved my spend over 100$ on my truck, so to relax I got a pizza and went to the library to find a good horror novel. They were closing early and this looked somewhat promising. I did not realize it was a christian propaganda book untill halfway through. Damnit. It does get a couple stars for being page-turnery. But once you realize what the message is (new-age, mystasism, eastern religion, meditation, humanism... is SATAN IN THE FLESH) and notice that the author w More...

2 comments like

Jul 24, 2009

Jeanette rated it:

Frank E. Peretti's book This Present Darkness is brilliant. This is my second time reading this book, and I am even more impressed than the first time that I had read it, which was many years ago. As I read through it, I realized that I didn't remember large parts of the story and was so glad to have decided to read it again.

The story centers around two principal characters, Hank Busche, a new pastor of a small church in a nondescript college town, and Marshall Hogan, recently transp More...

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Sep 12, 2008

Michael rated it:

This book was amazing! it begins a little slowly, but the climax literally had me squeezing the book so hard my knuckles turned white. This book is written by a strong Christian, and really emphasizes the importance of continual and sincere prayer, as well as the real-ness of the spiritual battle going on all around us. A must-read for Christians.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 05, 2010

Raven rated it:

I had to read this book for school and it is one of the worst books I have ever read.

The plot was ignorant and unbelievable, the characters were boring, and I felt like I was being preached to the entire time. None of this should come as a surprise considering it is a Christian novel with an agenda of course. I especially found the idea that the villains would be controlled by demons while engaging in Eastern meditation and preaching unity and self-awareness.

I understand More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Apr 05, 2010

Melissa rated it:

Loved it!!

This book is so awesome. Iv read both this present darkness and piercing the darkness twice in the last few months and just bought them. i like how he talks about angels and demons and weaves them into the story as iv had some encounters with stuff like that. The only problem i have with it is that angels and demons are portrayed wrong...for instance angels cannot be beaten up by demons, and if God didn't want the town to be taken over he could have just told Satan he wasn More...

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Sep 09, 2011

Jackie rated it:

Wow! Wow! Wow! This book totally blew me away! I've heard about Satan's angels and heavenly angels all my life, but this was a new spin on the reality of spiritual warfare. I believe (even before this book) that there is a whole unseen spiritual world, but I guess I focused more on heavenly angels protecting people. Never has it really entered my mind (although it should have) that with the unseen world of heavenly angels, there is also an unseen world of Satan's angels.

Peretti is a w More...

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Jun 25, 2011

Debbie rated it:

I had never heard of this book or author until my teenager (not an avid reader) brought it home because one of her close friends recommended it to her. She asked me to read it as she had not had time to yet. It was a slow starter for me and I almost laid it down after the first few chapters but kept reading it anyway. As the 'plot thickened' my interest grew and by the end I could not put it down. Yes, I am a believer in the Bible. Yes, I do read the Bible. Yes, I am involved in church. No, I do More...

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Aug 19, 2011

Cyanemi rated it:

The war between good and evil is real. There are demons and angels. This book is for the most part ridiculous. Once in awhile the author gets it right but usually it is as unrealistic and idiotic as a comic book. I am not an evangelical Christian or a republican. I am a Christian who does know that there is a battle. The battle is certainly not waged as portrayed in this book. The idea that small liberal arts colleges are hotbeds for new age teaching and thus the gateway to satanism is just More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 07, 2011

Mary Grace rated it:

I would be lying if I tell you that this book is really great from start to finish because frankly, the first half of the story is kinda boring. Even I dropped it after 2 chapters but with the help of my friend, I continued reading it and fortunately, finished it within the day. And boy was I glad I did that. After all the introduction and Plot formation, the story turned from boring to a very exciting tale on how good vs evil should really be like. And not that superficial kind of stuff that yo More...

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Nov 30, 2011

Lauren rated it:

"Ashton is just a typical small town. But when reporter Marshall Hogan and Pastor Hank Busche begin to compare notes, they suddenly find themselves fighing a hideous plot to subjugate the towns people, and eventually the entire human race."

Frank Peretti is a Christian author and his specialties are writing Christian thrillers. I enjoy his books, but I didn't absolutly love this one. All of his books are about 500 pages and they usually don't get really good until the las More...

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Dec 11, 2011

Debbiegordon rated it:

I have read this book years ago when I was younger. I have also read Piercing the Darkness and The Oath. I've just purchased Monster which leaves two of Frank's books left to buy: House and The Visitation. I recommend all of Frank's books.
One should read this book, not with 21st Century CG's nor with the idea that it is a "religious" book. Replace, in your mind's eye (imagination), the "good" and "bad" angels with say, gangsters and cops, or cowboys and india More...

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Aug 12, 2008

Beccabug33 rated it:

I know I'm the only Christian in the world who hates this book, but so be it. I just thought it was really, really slow. Everything happened in the last 2-3 chapters. I just didn't like it.

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Mar 12, 2010

Joel rated it:

I am trying to remember books I have read years ago. This book hit close to home so my opinion is influenced to a struggle I had. I started reading this less than a year after accepting Christ into my life. I was being pulled by two forces and even questioned the practices of a church I was attending. With that said this fictional story seem like non-fiction to me. I love the two stories playing out. I especially loved the idea of a secular person and spiritual person fighting the good fig More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 04, 2011

M.E. rated it:

This novel is not for the faint of heart. If you are prone to disbelief in supernatural powers affecting lives of the mortal, you will need to suspend that preconception to enjoy this book. If you are intrigued by angels, demons, prayer, Christianity, dark forces, and victory - this is the edition for you. Drama fills the pages. Battles for souls are won and lost. Church is a central theme.

Frank Peretti turned into a bestselling author as a result of these works, and one can only More...

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Jan 24, 2012

Doyin rated it:

A lot of emphasis is placed on the prayers of the saints, like the host of heaven can't do anything about the saint's problems untill prayers are offered.when you are living a righteous life you always have the notion that you are the only righteous one around most especially in our present society where everyone believes in doing things their own ways. God always keeps a remnant for himself who are living righteously also. Just like when Elijah thought he was the only prophet who was serving Go More...

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Aug 24, 2009

Christy rated it:

This book was mentioned to my youth group a few years ago to read. The book does a very good and different look at how demons posses you. It's about a town that starts going through some rough times and people arent themselves, but starting with just one person who believes God can help this town they turn it into a community belief to help friends and family turn from these demons. I have to admit that this story made me terrified at nights while i was reading it. The second book i only got a c More...

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